Bank fraud suspect identified after FOX 13 story: HCSO
TAMPA - Deputies in Hillsborough County are searching for Coretta Bates, who they've identified as the suspect in a rash of bank fraud cases around Tampa. She's accused of stealing $165,000 from a chain of credit unions.
"The fact that we put out those photos and within hours of your station, putting them out to the community, she was identified," said HCSO spokesperson Amanda Granit. "I don't think she's that good at concealing her identity."
Deputies say Bates baited banks by opening accounts that offered either free lines of credit or account bonuses. They say she used bogus ID cards from North Carolina to get Suncoast Credit Unions to give money to nonexistant people.
"It takes someone who's very brazen and going through multiple layers of fraud to do this," said Granit. "She has fake North Carolina identification cards, all with her photo on it, but all with different names."
Deputies say Bates has connections to both Tampa and Atlanta, which is why they're urging people from both places to be on the lookout.
"It has to be easier to just get a job," said Granit. "Work the 9 to 5, put in the hard work and create an honest living."
Deputies say her intricate and illegal work has earned her federal warrants for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. They won't say how many Suncoast Credit Union locations they believe she has ripped off, but they have released nine photos of her, along with a picture of an SUV.
"Some people might say this is a (banking) institution, (that) they're not really a victim," said Granit. "But the fact of the matter is that their losses get passed on to you and I and to all of the people in our community."
If you know where Coretta Bates could be, you're asked to contact HCSO or CrimeStoppers.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS